Page 98 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“You do, Firefly.”

“No, not like you know me.”

“It will come in time. I promise,” he reassured, but it felt like he held something back.

Had I ruined this before we began?

THIRTY-NINE

JAXUS

Kiera’s words ate at me over the next few days. The closer we got, the larger the glaring cavern between us felt. How long could I go without telling her where I came from? Eventually, she’d realize she didn’t know any of that about me and then what could I say? ‘I swore a blood oath, and I cannot even tell you why, but trust me’?

How long until she questioned it? I wished I could tell her before she realized how much I held back, but my hands were tied. She was doing so much better here, thriving with her Gran and having the time she needed away from work to do research while still taking it easy. And I knew it could bring the delicate balance of our new bond and our fledgling relationship as it was, crashing down.

As if my thoughts summoned her, Kiera bounded up the steps, a giant tome clutched to her chest. “I need to show youthis,” she panted. Her energy levels were higher than they had been even before her reaction. She took the stairs at the archives two at a time.

“Show me.” I gave up on the text I’d been reading and moved to the table she’d laid the book down on.

She pointed to a passage. “Start here.”

I skimmed the words, roughly translating the old language in my head. I felt entirely out of practice, having not used the skill since I arrived in the First Kingdom. “Am I reading this right?” I met her gaze. “This seems like a rough explanation of how to treat a mate severing, but done purposefully? Healing the tendrils so they no longer feel cut. Like they are still alive?”

She searched my face. “It sounds like it, doesn’t it?”

I studied the passage further. “What does this refer to?” I pointed to a part of the alchemy.

“It’s a type of titration, but I’m not sure of what?” A little crease formed in her brow. “Gran may know. She had to run to her class, but we can bring this to her after. I’m going to see if they have any reference books from this era and see if that might enlighten us on the practices being used in that time period.”

“When is this from?” I held the place while flipping to the cover to see if it gave some clue. It was leather-bound but deteriorating even in the controlled conditions of the archives. “Warn them to recopy this one.”

“I plan to as soon as we are finished transcribing it.”

I stared at her. “Will they let you take the information out of here? I thought there were rules?—?”

The healers were even more secretive than Nyx had let on, and he’d told me they were off their heads with how they protected their knowledge when I brought him the idea of having the flyers helping them in the healing wing.

She laughed. “I can have anything I want. I told you, I’m a custodian. My family makes those decisions.”

“No wonder Casimir sees you as a trophy,” I tasted the sneer as it left my lips.

Kiera glanced around, then lifted up on her tiptoes to brush her lips over mine. She pulled back far too quickly, and I chased her mouth, needing more than a taste. She giggled, pressing a finger into my sternum. “Someone will see us.”

“And why is that bad? Because you’re supposed to be promised to another, or because I’m a dragon?” I didn’t let up, cradling her lower back to make it harder to escape.

“Both!” She didn’t make a move to get away.

“Am I creating a scandal?” My fingers skimmed lower, and she squirmed.

“Is that what you want?”

“I want to show everyone you’re mine,” I hissed, making sure she tasted every word.

The scent of her arousal hit me like a ton of bricks. My mouth curled against hers as my hard cock pressed against her heat.

“Jaxus!” She playfully shoved me, breaking the kiss and glancing down at my tented leathers.

“I can’t keep anything from you.”

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